Three homeless charities get share of £20,000

The £20,000 was collected from contactless donation points around Bristol

Grants totalling £20,000 have been distributed to three homelessness charities to help them continue their "life-changing" work in a city.

The funds were collected from 25 city-wide contactless donation points installed by the Bristol TAP initiative.

The donation points allow people to give money with a "tap" of their bank card.

Emmaus Bristol was given £5,000, Survivors Leading Essential Education & Change (SLEEC) received £5,000 and Caring In Bristol was given a further £10,000.

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), one of the organisations behind the initiative, praised the public for their donations.

Emmaus said the grant will help them support people like Kevin (pictured) move into independent living

Emmaus Bristol support manager Francesca Blishen said the charity's goal is to help people "regain their independence".

"This funding from TAP for Bristol enables us to provide essential financial support to our residents as they transition into their own homes, empowering them to rebuild their lives and achieve lasting stability," she added.

SLEEC project manager Bryony Ball said the money will go towards supporting people affected by gender-based violence.

"As an organisation our emergency response work is accessible by being flexible and immediate, and we feel privileged to receive this funding," she said.

Caring in Bristol head of trusts and foundations Jenny Perez said: "The TAP initiative is enabling people and businesses in Bristol to support our projects that help prevent homelessness, as well as supporting young people to move away from a crisis.

"Together we're creating lasting change."

'Incredible work'

Bristol City Centre BID founded TAP for Bristol, in partnership with Caring for Bristol, in 2019.

The initiative is now also supported by Redcliffe and Temple BID.

Ms Lee said: “Our three chosen charities do incredible work in assisting those in need and we are so grateful for the opportunity to give back to them through the initiative, ensuring the longevity of the life-changing work that they do.”